The present embodiments relate to a medical device with an energy storage unit that is configured to be supplied with solar energy.
In many developing countries (e.g., Africa, India, and Western China), the supply of power via power supply networks is insufficient or entirely non-existent in rural areas.
Any power supply networks that do exist may not be sufficiently extensive to meet the demand and are not adequately safeguarded against failures. With the existing power supply, network fluctuations and interruptions occur.
Therefore, fossil-fuel powered generating sets may be used in order to generate power in a reliable manner.
Another source of energy used in many of the developing countries referred to above is solar energy.
The direct conversion of solar energy into electrical energy may take place using solar cells. This technology is also referred to as photovoltaics and dates back to the 1950s. The first applications were in the field of space travel. Photovoltaics have opened up a range of other fields of application (e.g., mobile telephones, which have received much attention in recent years).
This development is supported by improvements in the field of solar cells (see, e.g., EP 1160879 A2) and energy storage (see, e.g., US 2003/0035261 A1), which bring more fields of implementation into scope.
US 2006/0274890 A1, for example, discloses a portable, solar-powered diagnostic device for applications in dental medicine.
Many demands are placed on photovoltaic applications in the medical field, which are not fulfilled by solar-powered devices in the prior art.
Such demands relate to, for example, safety requirements and demands concerning typical workflows in the medical field.